2009 Midseason TV Preview: Day Three

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South Park, Survivor, Dollhouse, and more.

By Matt Fowler, Eric Goldman & Brian Zoromski

The middle of the TV season has arrived. In years past that meant we just got a handful of new midseason shows that replaced cancelled series, but now it's more like a whole new season, filled with returning favorites and new series. Our 2009 Midseason TV Preview runs down all the notable shows starting up in the next few months.

Please note that our list strictly covers series that have definite release dates (so any shows with "to be announced" air dates, like The Philanthropist and The Goode Family aren't included) and doesn't cover fall series that are just returning with new episodes, with one exception: Heroes (which is starting up a whole new volume of episodes, entitled, "Fugitives").

This week, Monday through Wednesday, we've been running a Midseason Preview each day, covering the new and returning shows in the order of their premiere. Monday we talked about shows premiering 1/6 to 1/16. Yesterday we discussed shows starting up 1/18 to 2/8. And today we're covering shows premiering 2/12 to 4/15.

For the eighteenth season of this reality TV perennial hit, Jeff Probst and a new batch of castaways travel to the Brazilian Highlands. This past fall's Survivor: Gabon featured one of the weaker casts in the show's recent history, with many unlikeable and less than game-savvy contestants – though the twists and turns in the second half still made it a fun season. However, Probst has promised that Tocantins will be different than Gabon, and feature "a lot of likeable people and a very differently played game."

For a while there it seemed like we'd never get the chance to write "the new series from Joss Whedon." On the heels of the cancellations of Firefly and Angel, the much adored Buffy creator seemed fed up with television, and moved on to comic books and movies. However, his former Buffy and Angel cast member Eliza Dushku lured him back to TV with this project Whedon created for her, about Echo (Dushku), one of the many "Actives" living inside a place nicknamed the Dollhouse – mindwiped participants in a secret organization that hires out the Actives to wealthy buyers. With some Matrix type technology giving the Actives all sorts of different skill sets and personalities, Echo is a different person every week… but the question of who she really was before she became part of this bizarre situation begins to surface.

Dollhouse would be under a microscope no matter what, thanks to Whedon's passionate fanbase following every moment of development. However, there have been some notable problems along the way that have raised a few eyebrows, including the original pilot being thrown out and other production delays. Fans fret that FOX is not behind the show, especially now that they're airing it on the traditionally viewer-challenged Friday night. However, there's no doubt the Whedon loyalists will be there to see Dollhouse. The question is, will others join them?

While there was a bit of a disjointed schedule for the last couple of years of The Amazing Race, CBS seems to have renewed confidence in the acclaimed reality series – which has won an astounding six Emmys in a row for outstanding reality competition.

Now back to airing one season in the fall and one in the spring, the fourteenth installment will find host Phil Keoghan once more helping guide a new group of contestants in another truly memorable race around the world.